Too many Americans live in places built for cars – not for human connection

Re:Too many Americans live in places built for cars – not fo... by randcraw on Thursday August 25, 2022 @02:19PM (#32597805)

Ann Arbor MI closed Main Street for the summer months to allow restaurant patrons to sit outside. I think this began during year 2(?) of covid. This especially makes sense in a college town when the students are away (half the population) and the reduced traffic is relatively easy to shunt around the closed off areas.

Conversely, Kalamazoo MI closed off a major downtown street year-round around 1975 to encourage foot traffic, but found few takers especially in winter. After a decade or so of declining attendance in general (as interest in the downtown also faded) they finally reopened the street to motor traffic.

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Re:Too many Americans live in places built for cars – not fo... by ahepp on Thursday August 25, 2022 @08:15PM (#32601751)

Oh hey, I grew up in Kalamazoo and went to school in Ann Arbor. It's been so long since I lived there I might be remembering wrong, but I just don't remember that much to do on the street in question (compared to somewhere like Ann Arbor). When I lived there, I think it was open to traffic, but a single one-way lane? Parking never seemed to be a problem if you were willing to park a block away.

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